The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada earned a HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence. It has used monitored and alerted technology to monitor clinical deterioration in schizophrenic patients in an inpatient care setting.

Jonathan French, senior director of quality and safety initiatives at HIMSS said that CAMH used data to take action to respond to save lives while delivering highest standard of psychiatric care. It can lead those with the disease into a two-or three times greater likelihood of facing early death. Clozapine, the antipsychotic medication used to treat 30 percent of schizophrenia patients has serious side effects, like lowered white blood cell count and medication- induced myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), leading to greater risk of death – all without standardized ways of monitoring these risks.

CAMH first implemented a clinical information system called I-CARE in 2014. This system allowed the organization to develop clozapine monitoring protocols. Thus, by using I-CARE, the center was able to improve awareness about the importance of using standardized order sets for monitoring clozapine. This significantly reduced the risk of serious complications associated with clozapine administration. It improved the quality of patient care provided.

Behavioral health engagement solutions help combat mental problems.